The vast majority of freight in the United States travels by rail car. Increasingly, more and more of the freight shipped by rail cars travels in intermodal containers. These intermodal containers are carried on rail cars that roll on wheel and axle assemblies. As with automobile tires, the wheel and axle assemblies on rail cars must be periodically replaced due to wear or damage incurred while in transit.
Unlike the changing of an automobile tire, the changing of a rail car wheel and axle assembly may be a difficult and time-consuming process that may require the use of several pieces of machinery. Given the size and weight of the equipment involved, it may also present dangers to personnel and equipment performing the maintenance.
Conventional wheel changing is accomplished using wheel trucks that employ jacks and a crane to lift the rail car. The process may also be performed using sidewinder vehicles that are similar to a front-end loader with a boom on one side and a counterweight on the side opposite the boom. Such an operation requires one sidewinder to be positioned on each side of the rail car so that the respective boom of each vehicle may be hooked to the rail car through the use of chains placed on the car. The booms then lift and suspend the car while work crews roll the old wheel out from under the rail car and replace it by rolling a new wheel into position. This evolution requires several heavy pieces of equipment and numerous support personnel to carry out the task of changing the wheel.
A device that would allow for the lifting of a rail car and facilitate the changing of a wheel and axle assembly using a limited number of people and pieces of equipment would be an improvement in the art.